Area educators have mixed views on Amendment 66 school tax issue

Thompson district superintendent says measure could boost per pupil funding from $43 per day to $55

By Alex Burness Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
10/14/2013 09:05:53 PM MDT

As ballots trickle into Colorado mailboxes this week, voters will have to decide whether they support Amendment 66, a nearly billion-dollar progressive tax hike considered by some to be a crucial investment in public education, while others call it an aimless stopgap.

If passed, Amendment 66 would provide funding to support Senate Bill 213 with a two-tiered tax system slated to raise $950 million in its first year. A 5 percent (up from 4.63) flat rate tax would be levied on incomes up to $75,000, while any income greater than that would be subject to a 5.9 percent tax.

Advocates say the measure provides a long-term template for boosting Colorado's public education system across the board. Of the $950 million, $243 million would go to preschool and full-day kindergarten programs, $173 million to at-risk students and English language learners, and $381 million to developing and evaluating teachers. An additional $100 million is set aside for an innovation fund.

Amendment 23 and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), among other factors, have produced per-pupil funding figures that consistently leave Colorado in the bottom 10 percent of U.S. states. According to the Colorado Department of Education, Amendment 66 passing would mean an annual statewide per-pupil increase from $6,652 to $7,246, an 11.6 percent hike. In Thompson School District, the estimated increase would be closer to 13 percent, from $6,310 to $7,125.

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Thompson's $120 million annual budget translates to about $43 per student, per day, and Amendment 66 would raise that figure tosomewhere between $50 and $55. On Monday, District Superintendent Stan Scheer made clear the fact that extra funding would go a long way.

"When you look at where this state wants to go, I don't think we can get it done without some additional support," Scheer said.

If the measure fails, he plans to "do what I've already done, which is make tough choices." Scheer said that mostly means "things we don't get to do," including full-day kindergarten, better teacher training and updated computer systems.

"The question isn't so much if we need the money as much as: If we were given the money, would we do the kinds of things that are good for kids? I would argue we would. I don't think we're able to get enough done in 175 [annual school days] given what we're expected to do for these children," he said.

Opponents of the measure are quick to point out that it offers no promise of improved student achievement, and many reject a tax hike in a time of economic instability. According to a recent poll by Louisville firm Magellan Strategies, the amendment is opposed by 44 percent of voters, and supported by 38 percent. Among the opposition are the majority of Thompson school board candidates, including Rocci Bryan, Bryce Carlson, Kathleen Hatanaka, Carl Langner and Donna Rice.

In an email, Bryan called Amendment 66 a "poor piece of legislation."

"With this type of tax increase, I am afraid that most school districts will look at this as an open candy jar that can be tapped anytime they want, with no real oversight," he wrote.

Todd Jirsa, president of Estes Park School District's Board of Education, expects his board will officially vote not to endorse the measure.

"If you're interested in increased spending for education in Colorado, then there really has to be some kind of performance tied to that," he said. "If we're going to spend $1 billion, how are kids going to become better educated because of it? I would like to see a more comprehensive solution, and this isn't it."

While most agree the measure's new programs sound good on paper, there is widespread concern that Amendment 66 is ill-timed. And, as expected, the tax hike is a hard sell.

"Should 66 pass, I would be pleased that it fully funds several programs that make a measurable difference in the lives of children and deliver those services with full transparency and accountability," District A Director Jeff Berg said in an email. "But I have concerns about the local control we would lose as a district with those funds and mechanisms in the legislation that could have a detrimental effect on the Colorado budget and economy."

Whether or not Amendment 66 passes, Scheer says the district is prepared to make do. On Monday he urged voters to consider the issue from a nonpartisan viewpoint. Indeed, the question is a highly political one -- Magellan's survey indicates that 63 percent of Democrats support the measure, while 68 percent of Republicans oppose it.

"It disturbs me greatly that the very essence of what we're about in this business seems to polarize, rather than bring people together," Scheer said. "I think people have to understand in their heart of hearts whether or not they want to be a part of this ... People in this school district, I think, are getting a real value for the dollars that are invested here right now, and [66] really gets back to if they believe we could enhance that more if we had additional resources available."